Over the last few months, I’ve come across several people asking if they should pay an agent or editor or publisher for X or Y or Z. Today I’m answering some of these questions. Should I pay an agent a reading fee? No. The Association of Author Representatives clearly state that literary agents are not …
Writers are an odd bunch. I’ve come across many writers who are more than comfortable with the idea of writing a 90,000-word novel, but have palpitations at the thought of writing and publishing a 500-word blog post. These authors often ask the same question: Do Authors Have to Blog? My answer? Maybe. But maybe not. …
I often see variations on this question: An agent liked my manuscript, but said I needed to build my social media presence. I work full time. Should I hire someone? Short answer: Maybe. Long answer … Maybe. It depends on what your agent means by a social media presence, the kind of books you write …
Twitter is for twits. That was my first impression, and my second wasn’t much better: that Twitter is like a gaggle of teenage girls with everyone talking and no one listening. But I’ve persevered, and Twitter is now my second most influential social media network, after Facebook. And I’ve got to the point where it …
This week I’m going to talk about how to responsibly use Twitter automation to reduce your time on Twitter (and other social media) while still being a good Twitter citizen i.e. how not to be a Twitter spammer. Apps and plugins are your friend! Yes, this will require a little time to set up, and …
Last week, I talked about why authors need to be on Twitter. Today I’m going to give you a little background to three important Twitter topics: hashtags, mentions, and lists. And an important Twitter Tip that you’ll need to remember before you even think about automating any Twitter tasks. I’ll be back next week to …
As many of you probably know, I review books. Lots of books—over 1,000 between my author website and my old Blogger site. Some are for books I loved, some for books I loathed, and some for books which were good books but not spectacular. I review on my blog, and copy the reviews to other …
I bought this because it was on sale and I’m a keen reader of Frances Caballo’s blog. The first part is excellent, as she takes readers through her four-step approach to social media: content curation, scheduling, being social, and analysing your metrics. This is all in the first few pages, so download and read the …
Books on book marketing often date quickly, which is something newbie authors have to watch out for. After all, the rules on sites such as Amazon change, and authors can find themselves reading outdated and bad advice without knowing it’s outdated and bad advice. Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour was published in 2013, so …
I recently came across an advertisement for a website offering a new way for writers to get paid for their work. Having observed the publishing industry for several years, my experience has been twofold: There are more people claiming to have invented a “new way” than there are new ways. Most of the “new ways” …
